Inaugural Midlands Farm Tour Sprouts Across Region

Ever wondered where to buy local plants and produce, but were unsure where to go or what was available?

Wonder no more.

The inaugural Midlands Farm Tour, which began Saturday and ends Sunday, provides access to 11 local farms for a cost of $25 online or $30 at the gate. Tickets are available online. The tour will be open Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

At the University of South Carolina Community Farm & Garden on the Green Quad near Wheat Street, visitors can see the work of students to grow fruits, vegetables and flowers in a sustainable manner.

A walk through the greenhouse provides a glimpse into edible plants and flowers planted around the campus. The worm-infested compost system shows how clippings and brown waste collected by groundskeepers is combined with food waste from campus kitchens to develop rich soil.

At City Roots near the downtown airport, visitors can hear about the pitfalls of tilling, walk among the free-range hens that provide dozens of eggs each day, eat some of the edible flowers and see a tank with 500 tilapia swimming about.

The water is cycled through the greenhouse in a way to benefit both the fish and the plants. The fish-fertilized water is cycled up to feed the edible flowers. The plant-filtered water then returns to the pond.

Many of the plants, including microgreens (mustard, cabbage, kale, snowpea, argula, radish), are for sale, as well as eggs. The fish will be available in a few months.

For a complete list of the farms taking part in the tour, see the attached PDF.